1 Hour Cinnamon Rolls

This easy cinnamon rolls recipe makes soft, fluffy rolls smothered in tangy cream cheese frosting for the ultimate breakfast treat. These homemade cinnamon rolls are ready with just 1 hour of rising time!

Quick Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

We love baking up a batch of fresh homemade cinnamon rolls on a weekend morning. On the days when we’re craving our favorite breakfast in a hurry, I make this easy cinnamon rolls recipe! This is a quick version of my family’s favorite overnight cinnamon rolls, with a 1-hour rise. Soft, fluffy, and smothered with sweet cream cheese icing, nobody can resist a warm-from-the-oven cinnamon roll. This recipe uses instant yeast, and there’s one rise instead of three, so these cinnamon rolls are ready in a fraction of the time. 

Why You’ll Love This Easy Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

• Irresistibly soft and delicious. You won’t believe how melt-in-your-mouth, soft, and tender these homemade cinnamon rolls are. Served covered in cream cheese icing while they’re still warm, these are truly *chef’s kiss*.
• Quick. You can’t beat the convenience of a one-hour rise. This recipe is great for weekends or easy afternoon baking. It’s the closest you’ll get to instant cinnamon rolls that are 100% homemade!
• Easy to make. The dough uses easy ingredients and comes together with minimal kneading. Even if you’ve never made cinnamon rolls before, this recipe has you covered.

Ingredient Notes

Below are some notes on the key ingredients you’ll need to make the best (and quickest!) homemade cinnamon rolls. Scroll down to the recipe card for a printable ingredients list.

• Whole Milk – When it comes to making cinnamon rolls, whole milk is best. The added fat yields softer, more decadent rolls. However, if you have 2% milk, this will also work in a pinch.
• Butter – I recommend baking with unsalted butter.
• Instant Yeast – I use instant yeast for these quick cinnamon rolls, and this type of yeast doesn’t require activation beforehand.
• Brown Sugar and Cinnamon – To make the cinnamon sugar filling. I prefer to use light brown sugar, but regular brown sugar will also work. 
• Cream Cheese – You’ll combine cream cheese with powdered sugar, melted butter, milk, and vanilla to make the cream cheese icing. Full-fat, room-temperature cream cheese yields the creamiest results.

How to Make Cinnamon Rolls

This easy cinnamon rolls recipe is the best breakfast treat. The whole house smells like a bakery and the rolls come out delectably light and flaky! Here’s a quick overview of the steps. Scroll to the recipe card for printable instructions. 

• Make the dough. Start by dissolving sugar in warm milk (110°F-120°F). Meanwhile, whisk together the dry ingredients, including the instant yeast. Next, stir melted butter and a beaten egg into the dry ingredients, followed by the milk mixture. Continue beating the ingredients together to form the dough.

• Knead and roll out the dough. Knead the dough on a floured surface until it’s nice and pliable. It shouldn’t take much kneading. Afterward, press and roll the dough into a large, flat rectangle. Mine is around 14×18 inches. It should be at least ¼-inch thick

• Add the filling. Whisk together the cinnamon sugar filling. Spread butter over the dough, and press the filling over the butter. Leave a half-inch uncovered along one of the long edges, to seal the dough once it’s rolled up.

• Roll and cut the cinnamon rolls. Next, roll the dough up into a long, tight log and seal it closed at the edge. Use a sharp knife (or floss) to cut the log into 12 even-sized cinnamon rolls.

• Let the rolls rise. Arrange the cinnamon rolls in a greased or lined baking dish, then cover and leave the rolls to rise somewhere warm for about an hour, until they’re doubled in size. The exact rising time will vary depending on the temperature in your kitchen.

• Bake. Finally, bake the cinnamon rolls at 375ºF for 20 to 24 minutes. Take the rolls out of the oven when they’re lightly golden. Leave them to cool for a bit before you frost them. 

Frosting the Cinnamon Rolls

Last but not least, it’s time to smother your freshly baked cinnamon rolls with delicious and easy homemade cream cheese icing.

• Make the icing. Beat cream cheese with melted butter, milk, and vanilla, followed by the powdered sugar. Adjust the thickness of the frosting by adding more powdered sugar (for thicker frosting), or more milk as needed.
• Frost the cinnamon rolls. Drizzle or smear the frosting over the warm cinnamon rolls, and serve!

Variation Ideas

These fuss-free cinnamon rolls are delicious as is, but feel free to dress them up in any way that you’d like! Here are some easy variations to try:

• Add nuts for crunch. Sprinkle over some finely chopped pecans, walnuts, or almonds before rolling up your cinnamon rolls.
• Add Nutella. Make Nutella-filled cinnamon rolls and use chocolate hazelnut spread in place of butter inside the rolls. Super indulgent!
• Caramel. Drizzle the rolls with caramel sauce or dulce de leche instead of cream cheese frosting.
• Add spices. Try mixing pumpkin pie spice or cardamom into the brown sugar filling for something a little different.

Storing and Reheating Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

• To Store. Homemade cinnamon rolls will keep fresh when stored airtight at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerated for up to 4 days.
• Reheat. Leftover cinnamon rolls can be warmed in the microwave for serving. If you’re expecting lots of leftover rolls, consider storing them without the frosting so that it doesn’t melt on the reheat.
• Freeze. Freeze the cooled cinnamon rolls in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Defrost the rolls at room temperature before serving.

More Easy Breakfast Recipes

• Sour Cream Coffee Cake
• Banana Nut Muffins
• Apple Cinnamon Muffins
• Banana Bread

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